After morning classes everyone was instructed to go to the ballroom for dance.

Everyone went up to their lockers and pulled out shoes that were strictly made for dancing thanks to Katherine.

Dree held out the black slippers in her hand and wrinkled her nose. "What was your mother thinking? Making everyone wear these atrocious slippers to dance with?" She fake gagged as she looked at them with disgust.

Thea rolled her eyes pulling her slippers out. "They have steel toes so that if someone steps on another one's toes no one will be getting hurt." She commented, shaking her head at her friend. "Sheesh, Dree,"

"Could she at least have made them sparkly? Maybe even a cute bow? Anything but this matte black, it's hideous!" Dree complained, closing her locker while shaking her head.

Thea glanced at her own shoes in her hand and shrugged. "I like them. I don't understand the problem. They're just shoes to practice in, we won't be wearing them apart from our dance classes." She said flatly, closing her locker gently.

Dree glared at Thea, rolling her eyes and sighing. "Of course, you'd like them. You'd say anything to make your dear mommy happy even if you disagree. You're a doormat sometimes, Thea." She commented with disgust, looking down at her friend. "I mean, why not silver? Anything better than black."

"Get over it Dree!" Thea snapped, having enough of Dree's complaining. "Mom isn't going to change anything and be happy you have them to protect your toes from getting crushed."

"What gives?" Dree huffed, closing her locker quickly as it locked. "You're being so uptight together. You are not normally this snappy with me, that's more my thing than your own."

Thea threw her hands in the air and let them slap against her side. "Maybe I am sick and tired of hearing you complain about everything! Just for once in your life be content with what you have. You don't see me complaining as much as you do about things beyond my control." She chided through gritted teeth.

Dree rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Good grief, no need to be all upset." She defensively exclaimed, putting her hands in front of her. "Where is Mia, by the way? Shouldn't she tell you where she is going? Doesn't she normally stick by you throughout the day?"

Thea shook her head, denying Dree's question. "Unlike how you treat Skye, we don't stick together throughout the day. She's her free person to do whatever she wants. I don't need to know." She matter-of-factly said, placing a hand on her hip.

Dree clenched her jaw as soon as Thea mentioned Skye. "I don't know what you are implying but I treat Skye how you would anyone who was beneath your title. She knows her place, I've taught her well and it makes her parents proud."

Thea's blood was boiling at the haughtiness in her voice as she spoke about Skye. "Well, you know what they say: you catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar." She commented, giving a smug smile to Dree.

Dree glanced behind her and saw Sidney was alone, her scholarship winner friends were with her. It was just her, Thea, and Sidney left behind in the hall. A devilish smirk grew on her lips as she slipped her foot out into the hallway.

Sidney turned around, closing her locket behind her. Starting to walk down the hall, her foot caught Dree's and sent her twisting her body to lessen the impact from falling on her back, which in turn bent her foot in an awkward position.

Her ankle went flush with the floor, pulling a few muscles in her foot and she let out a cry as she fell flat on the hard marble floor with a thud. "Ow." She groaned, rolling over on her back and sitting up. "Ouch."

Thea gasped and turned to Dree shooting her a death glare. "Dree!" She snapped sharply, looking down both sides of the hall. "What were you thinking? Someone could have seen you! Do you want to get into trouble?"

Dree scoffed, hooking her arm with Thea's and leading her away from Sidney. "Oh please, it's only us. I made sure to check before I tripped her. This is a good thing, now you don't have to worry about anything. If she does happen to get a tardy that means she has four more strikes left and she's gone." She cooed in a sing/song voice.

Thea glanced back at Sidney who was on the verge of tears. "You should count your lucky stars above that no one did happen to see. You can't guarantee that someone isn't lurking in the shadows. That's what my mom tells me." She whispered, turning her head away from Sidney.

Dree scoffed, dragging Thea down the hall, and spoke in a hushed tone. "You worry too much, Thea. I know what I'm going to do. How else do you think I get away with treating Skye like I do? She's a sorry excuse for the soon-to-be royal lady, but there is nothing I can do about it." She complained, rounding a corner.

Sidney glanced up to see Dree briskly dragging Thea away from her. 'What is her problem?' She thought as she pressed gently around her ankle and massaged it a bit. "At least it's not broken. It could be sprained, but most likely twisted. I can still move it." She mumbled to herself, grabbing her slippers and her shoe.

Darius Roe, a soon-to-be baron, was rushing down the hall, brushing out his light brown hair with his fingers. He stopped when he saw Sidney sitting on the ground holding her ankle. His steel-gray eyes looked with concern as he walked over to her. "Are you okay?" He asked, bending down to her.

Sidney looked up at the boy, gritting her teeth as she gently rubbed her ankle. "No," She paused, realizing it was probably best to leave out who tripped her since she had no proof. "I tripped. It's probably just twisted, which is nothing to keep me from dancing. By the time I get to class, it should be fine, if I can get there promptly." She rambled on, pushing her hair to her back.

Darius gave her a sympathetic look, rubbing the back of his neck. "You tripped?" He asked, as he offered out his hand. "I can help you to class, I am on my way there."

Sidney took his hand rising on one foot and wrapping an arm around his shoulders as she leaned against him. "Thanks. It means a lot. I'm sorry if I'm going to make you late too." She flashed a pained smile to him as she lipped down the hallway.

Darius walked with her down the hall, helping her walk. "Eh, it is a good thing I overslept. We can both get a strike together if we do happen to be late." He gave a laugh, his eyes sparkling at the mere thought. "And if we do happen to get a pass, it's because you've got me."

Sidney turned her head towards him, curious but surprised. "Wait, you overslept? Isn't that like something nobles and royals never do because it's against the rules or something?" She asked, surprised he had made such an admission.

Darius chuckled at her question, finding it amusing that she thought that. "Of course not. Yes, tardiness is frowned upon but I think I'll get a pass this time if I flash a smile to the headmistress. I've been told I'm very charming." He mocked in a posh voice.

Sidney giggled as he spoke while looking down at the ground. "Charming huh? Does your mommy tell you that?" She teased, glancing up at him.

Darius picked up the hint of playfulness in her voice. "Yes, yes she does. But she's not the only one. Everyone tells me that, so how can I not believe it?" He seriously said, only to crack a lopsided smile. "I'm kidding. No one tells me that."

Sidney blinked a few times, having a hard time believing his words. "What? You're kidding. No one?" She asked, dumbfounded at this revelation.

Darius nodded, pressing his lips together in a thin line. "It's true. Handsome, yes. Charming, no. Although, oftentimes people tell me how debonair I am, which is practically the same thing." He furrowed his brows as he thought about what he said.

Sidney smiled softly at his words, finding them slightly amusing. "Well, I think you are charming." She flashed a pained smile, only to recall she hadn't introduced herself yet. "Oh, I'm Sidney, Sidney Barnes, the scholarship winner but I'm sure you already knew that."

"Yeah, people can't stop talking about the scholarship winners." Darius nodded after she had introduced herself. "I'm Darius Roe, soon-to-be baron of Senoia once I graduate." He introduced himself, flashing a smile.

Sidney wracked her brain for what he meant. "You're a baron? Um, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what does a baron do?" She asked, not knowing what all those titles meant.

Darius didn't hesitate to reply. "A baron or baroness manages every land in the kingdom. We manage what is done with them, and who gets them, just think of us like realtors in cities with democracy instead of a kingship. It's a tasking job because we also have to consult with the Viscount or Viscountess over the economic values of said land."

Sidney's eyes widened as she attentively listened to his explanation. "So, does that mean you will be aiding Thea in tearing down the poor part of the kingdom?"

Darius' eyes widened as soon as those words left her lips. "What? Of course not. Where did you hear that? Thea wouldn't do such a thing!" He defensively exclaimed.

Sidney felt her heart break a little at how defensive he was towards the mention of Thea. "She said it last night at dinner when she was sitting with Dree." She softly spoke, looking down at the floor as he limped along.

Darius recoiled, realizing he had probably been too hasty with his reaction. "That figures." He calmly said, looking off to the side. "She wouldn't do something that awful. She probably was only saying that because Dree was there and she had to save face."

Sidney didn't believe for a moment she was acting only because Dree was there. Dree seemed like the person to bring the worst that was already in a person out. "And you would know that, how?"

Darius sighed as he reached out for the door handle. "Thea and I grew up together alongside Mia. We were inseparable until a few years ago, we kinda grew apart with being busy in our own lives." He replied, pulling the door open and helping Sidney over to where the others were at.

Devona rushed over to Sidney and helped her into a chair. "What happened?" She asked, her eyes shifting to her ankle that she was favoring. "Did you happen to hurt your ankle?"

Sidney set her dancing shoes down on the floor beside her. "I tripped and fell on the ground. I think I just bruised it, nothing too serious to be worried about." She said standing up and slightly wincing before rolling her ankle. "It will work itself out throughout the class."

Devona sighed, so glad that she was alright. "If that is what happened, I'm just glad you're fine. I was worried I would give you two a strike. Thankfully, you make it in the nick of time. So, you two will be partners for this round since everyone is already paired." She smiled, walking over to Katherine.

Thea huffed, crossing her arms, and glared at Dree "I thought you said it was a sealed deal I'd get to dance with him?" She whispered through gritted teeth, turning her attention towards Sidney and narrowing her eyes.

Dree casually shrugged her shoulders, placing one hand on her hip. "How was I to know he'd just happen to cross paths with Sidney and help her?" She countered condescendingly, flashing a look at her nails.

Thea narrowed her eyes, giving Dree a death glare. "Next time leave it to me." She hissed, tapping her foot on the floor. "I'll probably get partnered up with a scholarship winner knowing Headmistress Devona."

Devona clapped her hands and paired everyone up. She then instructed the boys to grab the girl's hand and put their left hand on the right of the girl's hip while the girls placed their other hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Now, please listen carefully to Katherine. She will take it from here while I deal with some - issues." She informed as she nodded to the Duchess and left the room.

The music started and Katherine instructed them on where to step to create the waltz.

"Keep on beat with the music. Don't look at your feet. Think of your dancing on a napkin and you can only touch the corners. It's a simple pattern once you get the gist of it down." She introduced, walking back and forth, her eyes scanning the class.

"I learned that thinking too much about what to do makes things a bit harder and you are prone to mess up." Darius said, keeping his eyes focused on her face. "Just follow my lead and I will guide you through the dance."

Sidney looked up trying to follow what Katherine said only faintly hearing Darius. "I'm sorry if I'm a terrible dance partner." She apologized with a sympathetic smile.

Darius gave an amused short laugh at her comment. "All beginners say the same thing. If you do I won't be mad because believe me, I have had my fair share of not being good at it." He hoped his words would bring her some calm.

Sidney glanced at the others and even a few royals were pretty awful at dancing. She turned her attention back to Darius, trying not to focus too much on following his lead.

Darius sighed, spinning Sidney around gently along with everyone else. "So, would you mind telling me a little about yourself? I've mostly heard gossip but I don't like believing any of it since it can get exaggerated." He asked, pursing his lips afterward.

Sidney tilted her head as she followed Darius, spinning around once again before moving into a wide invisible circle. "Um, well, I have a little sister. My mama and my papa are the best parents I could ask for. I work at the Cotillion Hotel with my best friend Molly."

Darius placed his hand with Sidney's both turning opposite of each other as they slowly walked in a circle before turning the other way. "Is that all?" He inquired, knowing there had to be more than the cookie-cutter answers.

Sidney tilted her head back and forth, debating on what she should tell him. "Well, it tends to get a bit personal with my life but I don't feel comfortable enough to talk about it. I hope that is fine?" She asked, holding her breath for his answer.

Darius smiled softly as he spun her around again. "That is fine. Whatever you feel comfortable with. I would hate for you to be uncomfortable with me." He looked up at her and gave her a soft look. "You just really love your little sister, huh? I would like to know a little about her if that is okay with you?" He asked, his heart warming at how she spoke about her little sister.

Sidney was a bit shocked but felt touched nonetheless. "Oh, yes, it is fine. She was adopted like I was so we had that bond that not everyone has. I tried to be the best big sister I could be. She loves to pretend to be a princess since she is obsessed with royalty." She replied, fondly at that.

Darius couldn't help but softly smile at the way she spoke about her sister. "She sounds adorable. You're so lucky." He rightly said, spinning Sidney out and then pulling her closer. "I'm an only child so I never had my siblings, but I could count Thea and Mia as like cool cousins."

Sidney felt blessed to have a sister like Missy, but she had to clarify something. "I understand how you feel. For eight years of my life, I was the only child until Mama and Papa adopted Missy as they did me. She was only a baby at the time and I was so taken with her big brown eyes."

Darius did a double take. "You were adopted as a baby too?" He asked curiosity, lacing his voice.

Sidney nodded, smiling fondly at the story her parents had told her. "Yes, I was about one or maybe a little older by a month or so. The orphanage didn't know much about me, just that I was found on their doorstep in a basket." She replied, frowning a little.

Darius listened quietly as she spoke, taking in the information. "Hmm, you know, that was around the time the late king, queen, and princess were confirmed to be dead."

Sidney pulled her eyes away from her feet and towards Darius as they did a one-two-three-one-two-three step in a wide circle. "What do you mean?" She inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

Darius paused momentarily and did the same steps but in the opposite direction. "You haven't heard about the Michika Mystery? I thought everyone in Senoia knew about it. The kingdom made the date an official holiday to honor them." He asked, flabbergasted at this revelation.

Sidney gave a sheepish smile. "It was more Missy's thing than mine, I was too busy to focus on anything else than school and my job. Could you tell me about what happened?" She skeptically asked, trying to not seem too interested in a sad story.

Darius spun Sidney around twice and pulled her close spinning around together a few times. "Well, King Baylie and Queen Marilyn mysteriously disappeared about a few days after the one-year birthday of Princess Melissa. Then a month later a crime scene was found with their uh, blood. No bodies were found but with the amount of blood they couldn't survive."

Sidney glanced over at Katherine who was still giving out instructions, feeling a bit bad for her. "Oh, I can't imagine how hard that would be, especially for Duchess Katherine. Missy always said that she loved her brother dearly since he was the only family she had."

Darius nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "My mom says that Katherine's personality did a 180, because around the time allegations that Marshall cheated surfaced, people thought Katherine or Marshall had a hand in their death, and the messy divorce between them also happened." He shook his head at the momentary ache in his chest.

Sidney's eyes grew wide for a brief moment before fading as she looked off to her side. "Oh," She whispered, not exactly knowing how to feel about this information.

Darius could see Sidney was feeling sorry for the Messings, which was understandable and normal. "Yeah, it is why Duchess Katherine is so hard on Thea. It wasn't easy being Regent of the kingdom these past years and she knew firsthand how everyone would treat Thea becoming Crown Princess at 19. So, don't take Thea's actions or words to heart, she's just projecting her feelings on others."

Sidney nodded slowly, torn on how to feel because Darius was spinning things that Thea was simply acting out because of her personal life and because of Dree pressuring her.

'Just because she has it hard doesn't mean she is justified in how she treats other people. It's wrong. I know Darius didn't mean it to sound like that, I shouldn't be surprised he would defend her. They're friends, and friends take each other's side whether it is bad or good.' She thought to herself as she let out a sigh.

Darius could see he had made things awkward with his words. So, he racked his brain for something to speak about next. "You're doing very well, are you sure you haven't danced before?" He asked when the thought had popped into his head.

Sidney was taken back as they spun around in a circle together. "Oh? I uh, no, I never really danced before, well, other than dancing like no one's watching in the piracy of your own house."

Darius nodded as the tow of them spin around opposite of each other. "I could have sworn you've had lessons before."

Sidney's cheeks grew red as she looked away. "Thank you." She felt a small boost of confidence that maybe, just maybe would motivate her to persevere through the school year and graduate.

〰❦〰❦〰❦〰❦〰❦〰❦〰

A/N:
I haven't forgotten about this book so don't worry. Shipwrecked Princess, Finding Home and these are my top priorities on getting finished by summer fingers crossed. I am trying to set goals to meet which I didn't meet last year. So, fingers crossed my readers.

Edit: This was basically a rewrite almost starting over from scratch.

Chapter Talk:
This was and still is one of my favorite chapters. I did expand on a lot which I am pretty proud of myself.

Edit: I did a little changing of some things in this chapter. I expanded more on Darius, and this isn't the last time you'll see him. This is his first introduction and I wasn't too keen on how I originally introduced him. It seemed very rushed. I don't want it to be rushed.

Instead of it being Thea who tripped Sidney, I figured it should be Dree since it's kinda ooc of Thea. I also had like 1k words of it switching to the ballroom with Thea complaining and I didn't want that so I took it out.

Thanks for reading!